During blind tastings of hundreds of Franciacorta wines for the Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia 2024 guide, we were impressed by the consistently high level, making it challenging to find a wine with the slightest flaw. At the same time, in several cases, the technical perfection seemed almost excessive, as if a hint of imperfection were needed to give more character, a certain dishevelment, a 'study abroad' effect. We observed that the increasingly restrained dosages also benefit Extra Brut and Brut versions, making them more focused on the liqueur, resulting in juicy and enjoyable sips.
Franciacorta, like all Metodo Classico sparkling wines, undergo a double fermentation process to achieve the bubbles that we enthusiasts all enjoy, the second of which takes place inside the same bottle that then reaches our table.
Producing Metodo Classico sparkling wine is complex from many perspectives; above all, "immobilizing" the wines in the cellar for at least two years incurs costs. This is why these sparkling wines are generally more expensive than many still wines. However, in our tastings this year, we managed to find some labels that hit the shelf for less than 20 euros. We reviewed them in the Berebene 2024 guide by Gambero Rosso, from which the list below is derived.
Franciacorta with the best quality-price ratio
Brut di Priore, produced by Alessandro and Bruno Mingotti, who offer a valid range of Franciacorta in their Calino cellar, confirms an excellent quality-price ratio. It presents soft sensations of peach, as well as juniper and hazelnut tones. The palate is enveloping, continuous, with a delicately savory and progressive finish.
Brut di Contadi Castaldi, a blend of chardonnay with a balance of pinot bianco and pinot nero, is truly centered. It offers very fresh scents of grapefruit and lemon peel, along with enticing tones of bread crust. The palate is very tense, crisp, with returns of green apple sensations and a balsamic undertone. It has a secure and vertical progression; the finish is clear, dry, and very precise. In the 1980s, Vittorio and Mariella Moretti had the intuition to convert the Adro furnaces into an innovative and well-equipped cellar, with its long brick-cooking galleries becoming the home for the aging of Franciacorta. Production has grown over time, thanks to the relationship with numerous local winegrowers, and today it relies on over 170 hectares of vineyards. The style? Fresh, agile, and immediate Franciacorta, under the careful consultancy of Gian Luca Uccelli.
Satèn Conte di Provaglio by Chiara Ziliani is the best for quality-price ratio and presents tones of tropical fruit, vanilla, and orange zest; on the palate, it is creamy, soft, and well-refreshed by a fresh citrus surge. The cellar in Provaglio d'Iseo, in the heart of Franciacorta, boasts about 40 hectares of property and a very articulated production range that embraces five different lines. The training system used is the micro-spurred cordon, the plots have an exposure from east to southwest, with a maximum elevation difference of 50 meters.
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